It's Time
by batbaby
Summary: A follow up to the story Why? Allied Victors from District 12 along with Finnick, Annie, Beetee and Johanna have to figure out how to get out of the arena again. Little do they know that they have allies on the outside too. OC being introduced. Violence, adult language and possible sexual situations in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - Here's the follow-up to Why? For those of you who haven't read it, you might want to :)**

PPOV

About an hour has passed since we were attacked by the…gorilla mutts. Finnick told us what they were. I only remember seeing pictures from school, but of much smaller ones, not anything that big of course. Finnick said that they were known to get pretty large, much bigger than humans, heavier but they were often hunted for their hands and feet and killed off ages ago, before the big war. I don't know how he knows this, but he does and I won't question it.

We have cleared up what we could, the hovercraft taking both the morphling and Wiress' bodies away. Katniss put all the cleaned arrows in her quiver and is sharpening some of the ends with a rock she found, while Gale sharpens a knife the same way. Johanna is eating again, keeping on eye on Beetee who has been very quiet and playing with a roll of what looks to be wire or something. I know he's from District 3 and has invented things, but what they are, I have no clue. I'm just sitting here trying to figure out what we'll do next, following Katniss' lead and sharpening the spear and knife I have.

"So, do you think anyone else got attacked by these things, Finnick?" Johanna asks somewhat loudly from where she sits by the fire, or maybe it just seems loud because no one has been speaking for awhile.

Everyone turns to look at him, while he is holding his slowing falling asleep love in his arms. He shakes his head, "No, I don't think so. I think they sent these just for us and if I'm correct in that, then more will be coming, made especially for us."

"Why? Why are we so much more special?" Gale questions, standing up and moving near them. "I get that Katniss pissed them off, but I don't think she even intended to do that. There was no way in hell that she would have killed Peeta just because they need a Victor, but there was no way she would have killed him anyway. She fell in love with him in that damn cave and I know it's true, because that's when everything changed. Why are they using her as some example? I mean, haven't they had other Victors who have challenged them before?"

"You sure do ask a lot of questions." Johanna says, standing up too. Now everyone is watching them and even if we don't admit it, we all know that the cameras are focused on our group more so than any other. "Of course they've had other Victors spit in their fancy-ass faces, why do you think so many of us are fucked up the way we are? Your only other Victor from your district has been a drunk ever since they killed off his family, you think that just happened? No. They screw with us until they get what they want and right now my guess is they want us dead. I say we pack up what we can and get moving. There's bound to be another attack and somehow I think it ain't gonna be as pretty as those things were. We need to get out of here."

Katniss stands up too and I follow her lead, as I tend to when I don't know what else to do. She rarely has a true plan to follow, but when she thinks of something, it's usually not too horrible. In a strong voice, one like I haven't heard all day, she says, "We can't go back to the forest on the other side, I don't think we're safe following the river too closely, we have to go deeper into these woods or find our way back to the cornucopia."

In a lower voice and maybe because he hasn't talked much since we've been here, Beetee suddenly speaks up, "No, following the river will take us back to the cornucopia. We have to follow and we have two excellent hunters with us. You both know how to track, right?"

He looks directly at my fiancée and then to Gale. They both nod and he continues, "Then, both of you in front, where you'll be more likely to see something. I say Finnick and Johanna in the back because they are good fighters, Peeta, you smack in the middle with that spear. We can do this and then I can set something up."

"What do you mean, 'set something up'? What and how?" Johanna asks the question everyone wants to know now.

"I know how to get us out of here." Beetee exclaims as he stands up and wipes the sand from his rubbery outfit.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – And here is my new character, making their big appearance. The story itself will be mostly from Peeta, Katniss, or OC's point of view.**

JPOV

Great, now everyone knew that there was some kind of plan in motion, even if the old man hasn't said what it is yet. This particular group of Victors was in more danger than any of the others and they knew it. Yet, now I was more afraid then before at how Snow was going to take his fury out on them. I somehow managed to get a note to Haymitch through an Avox, a trusted one, so that he knew how angry Snow really was and was able to meet Plutarch without any issues.

When I find him watching the Games in a plush room, surrounded by other Capitolite game watchers, I can tell that he is worried, though none of these people would notice such a thing. They don't know anything of what's going on, just that their favorite Victors have to kill each other off and wondering how they will do it. At first they were all outraged at the announcement of former Victors going in, but then the bets started and who wanted to send what to whom. They are so fickle when it comes to other's lives.

Plutarch sees me and gets up, nodding and smiling to the men he was talking to, excusing himself to talk to his "sister" as most think I am. I suppose I am that, just not in the conventional sense. He opens his arms wide, with a giant, fake smile plastered to his face. With a booming voice, he exclaims, "Janae, I haven't seen you all day! Come, sit with me. Have you seen what's happened?"

"I heard that the old man has an idea." I reply, playing along. We know our roles well and have been playing them for years, decades even. "Do you think he does or maybe he's just bluffing?"

Some overly dressed; overly orange-haired woman looks at me with a matching pumpkin-colored mouth and laughs, "Of course he's bluffing! Those kids got his only true ally killed. He's going to make sure they walk into a trap."

I can tell from her high pitch and somewhat slurred words that she has had a bit too much of whatever drinks are being passed around. "Well, that's why he's a Victor, right? I mean, no one knew what they'd do the first time around and no one thought they'd ever go in again."

"Exactly! That's why you can't let them fool you into thinking that maybe they'll all just buddy up as it were. The perfect rouse. Perfect! I need another one of those purple drinks, they are to die for!" She makes a confused face and then starts laughing at herself, "The irony! I bet they would trade places with me in an instant!"

I want to slap her but just smile and walk away with my "brother". Once we are away from the drunk, prying ears, Plutarch keeping his arm around my shoulders, he whispers, "Is Abernathy okay?"

I nod, "For now. I know Snow wants him dead but he can't do it while they still live. He wants you to send in the mist. He thinks that's the easiest way to kill the girl now that we know for sure she's pregnant."

"But how do we know? She threw up, they all do at some point during the Games, this isn't a big deal. Besides, we checked her blood two weeks before they went in, she wasn't pregnant then." Although his voice is low, it is heated.

"I know, but he's convinced that she is now and you know how he is when he has his mind set on something. The only thing I can think to do is send in parachutes for all but one of them and they must decide on who doesn't get one." I tell him, knowing exactly what will go in and how expensive it will be.

"But he approves it all and he'll know one of us did it." Plutarch's eyebrows scrunch together in worry and I let a small smile play on my lips.

"Silly man, I wouldn't dare send in something that obvious. There are multiple ways of not breathing in toxic air. And most all of them can swim. Guide them towards the deepest part of that river, make sure they get in and I will get them what they need." I give him a squeeze around his ample middle and walk away. Now I have a few favors to call in.

As I make my way from one of the wealthier couples that I know, spitting out the last of the wretched liquid they offered me, I smile, knowing that I have two more parachutes being sent it. I have been wining and dining with these types of people for the last hour and a half, although I would have preferred it to have gone quicker. All the drinks they have been offering are getting to my head, but at least I'm done. No one wants to say no to Plutarch's younger sister. She's just so pretty and so smart and could very likely take his place someday with all the little things she comes up with. Yes, my dark hair that I never dye to match the latest fashions is such a "bold statement" and wanting to follow in his footsteps instead of "being quiet like my mother" makes me such a "fun" person to hang around. I despise how they think and yet while I learned to think like them, I also learned quite a bit more and know how to use that to my advantage. Right now that advantage is getting gifts sent to these tributes.

I stop at one of the multiple screens and watch as different Victors are being shown. The group I'm following is making their way down the river, Katniss and Gale at the lead. I imagine Katniss is looking up as she's the one who's good with the bow, while Gale seems to have his eyes trained to the ground. It's interesting watching them, how well they actually work together. I'm not sure how I feel about him though, considering what he did to his so-called cousin. He is no more her cousin than I am Plutarch's sister.

My eyes go down the line of Victors; Annie, Beetee, and Peeta all in the middle with some form of weapon, but we all know that it's Peeta who will draw blood if need be. Johanna and Finnick bring up the rear, her ax resting on her shoulder and his trident gripped tightly in his hand. It must frighten him that he isn't right next to his love, but he knows that there is much more at stake than just her life. He knows that Katniss needs to make it out alive. But I know that if it came down to him and Annie, he would die for her instantly.

I'm startled when a canon booms and look to one of the other screens. A smaller group of four Victors are forcing their way out of the same forest that Katniss' had come out of before they crossed the river. The camera flashes to what was their fifth member, huge gashes covering most of her face and blood pouring from them. There's no sign of what it was and since I wasn't paying attention, I can only think that it was the mutt squirrels that were hiding higher up. Snow didn't unleash them on Katniss' group simply because he was enjoying watching them drink up the sweetened water. Had they not figured out about the spile, then he would have sent in the furry mutants.

"Janae!" I hear my name being bellowed by some annoyingly familiar voice. I turn and see that it is indeed Effie Trinket. She should be busy getting her tributes presents, not here in a random square.

I put on my smile and nod, "Effie, how are you, dear? Where's Haymitch?"

Her blue eyes are suddenly filled with worry, "I don't know. I was hoping that maybe you or your brother had seen him. We were supposed to meet for lunch, go over some people we wanted to talk to, you know, get Katniss and Peeta sent something hopefully, but he never showed up."

I shake my head and gently pat her arm, "You know what, President Snow did ask to meet with him. He probably just detained him a bit longer than he meant to is all. If you like, we can go to the mansion now, see if he's there?"

She puts both of her hands on my arms, "Really, Janae? That would be great. Though I don't like the idea of Haymitch going to see him alone."

I cock my head to the side. Effie isn't aware of the plans as far as I know, but she is obviously aware of something. "Why do you say that?"

She looks around, making sure no one is paying attention to us, leans closer, and answers quietly, "He visited us up in the apartment. Talked to all of us and more or less warned us to not step out of place."

I pull back as if I'd been burned. Snow went to go see them before the Games started? I wasn't aware of this; though it isn't as if I know his itinerary. I know most of it, but when he disappears, no one except for his private escorts knows where he goes. "Really? Well, I hadn't realized that. Let's go, see what those two could be up to. I'm sure Haymitch is fine, Effie. He usually is after all, right?"

She lets out a nervous giggle, "Yes, that's true. He may be a drunk, but he is a talker when he needs to be."

We walk towards the center of the city arm in arm, as if two old friends going to visit another set of friends. How wrong everyone would be if they assumed that.


	3. Chapter 3

PPOV

We'd been walking for a couple of hours, following the river, when I hear the tell tale noise of a parachute. But when I look up at the shadows, I realize multiple parachutes that are in the sky, all heading in our direction. The closer they get, the bigger I see that they are. These aren't small gifts of food or even medicine. Gale catches the first one before it hits the ground and we all stop, waiting for the rest to touch the rocky sides of the river. Gale twists the top off, making a weird face as he looks inside.

"What is this?" He asks, pulling out a mask that would easily cover your eyes and mouth. He kneels down and puts the mask aside and pulls out a small tube. Holding it up so everyone can see, "What is this?"

Everyone opens up a parachute, finding the same thing in all of them. Finnick smiles, "They sent us scuba masks and oxygen tanks!"

Annie and Finnick laugh, while everyone else is clueless. Johanna clears her throat and holds her pieces up, "And they are for what exactly?"

"For swimming underwater." He answers as if it were obvious. I feel a panicky for a moment when suddenly Katniss' hand entwines with mine. I look at her and she gives me a small smile, basically telling me that it's going to be okay.

"And why would we need to do that? The river isn't that deep." Johanna says right before we hear two cannons booming off in the distance. Everyone looks towards the forest to our left. We can't see anything moving, at least not bodies but it doesn't take much before Beetee is pointing to it and yelling,

"What is that?! That fog coming out?!" He starts to back up, closer to the water's edge.

"Whatever it is, we better get the masks on and get into the river! It may not be deep, but I'm guessing we're not supposed to inhale that!" Finnick adds, as everyone starts to hastily undo the tubes and masks.

We watch Finnick and Annie put the masks on, attaching the little tubes to them. I notice Beetee's eyes going wide and watch him run into the water first, making big splashes all around himself. Katniss grabs my hand again and before she puts the mask over her face, she tells me, "Don't worry, I'll be next to you the whole time. We just need to stay under long enough for whatever this is to pass over us and not get killed by it."

"Well get going then, because it's almost out of the trees!" Gale warns us as he heads into the water, pulling his mask down.

I follow Katniss in and panic a little more pulling the mask over my face because I don't understand how we can breathe with these things covering our airways or how these little tubes provide oxygen. But I look to Finnick, who just gives me a nod of assurance and lays down into the river bed, letting his body float for a second before his entire form goes under the surface. Annie and Beetee do the same and I let go of Katniss' hand for a moment to get myself adjusted in the water. The fog is just at the water's edge when I see a dark form limp out of the woods, coughing and covered in blood. I can't tell who it is, just that before they make it to the last tree before the sand, they hit the ground and another cannon booms.

It scares me enough to lie down in the water and suck a big chunk of air into my lungs through the mask. The air is refreshing and cool. Instinct tells me to close my eyes, but I force them open, knowing the mask will keep the water out. I see Finnick, Annie, and Gale ahead of and feel rather than see Katniss next to me. I mimic Finnick's movements under the water, trying to kick my legs behind me, but it feels so weird. When I look to my side, Katniss is gracefully swimming next to me, the mask not hindering her at all. I gain more confidence as we get further along, when I feel something above me. Turning my body a bit so that I can look up, I see a vague outline of what looks like a hovercraft. I tap Katniss' shoulder with mine, pointing upwards. She turns and shakes her head violently and then we are pulled with a strong current lower into the river.

If I was panicking before, it's nothing compared to the feeling of losing control under water while trying to breathe in some contraption made for swimming. I feel like we're being pulled or maybe even pushed by the water itself and I wonder if this is what it felt like for Mags when she went under. But she didn't have the mask. I bet she would have been fine if she had had it. Even Finnick and Annie aren't swimming anymore, just letting their bodies be carried with the gust of water. No one is fighting it, so I let my limbs go limp and flow along with them. I feel Katniss' hand around mine again and look to her. She smiles beneath her mask and I feel better already.

The river turns a few times and I hit some rocks, but overall, the current takes us further, faster than we would have been. I know that fog was meant for us, anyone else caught in it a tragedy. But who sent us the masks? And for all of us? All of the mentors that we have were never in the prior Games, except for Haymitch. And if he knew, would he have told the others? Who would have known except for Snow and Plutarch what was going to come our way? And there's no way that Snow would have sent us something in order to save us, he's is number one on the list of who wants us dead. Unless this is a trick made to make him look good. I'm so confused by all of this. This obviously isn't the same kind of game we're playing here.

All of a sudden the rocky bottom seems to get lower and all I see more darkness beneath me. I know I must flail my arms some because Katniss takes a tighter grip on my hand. I look at her, feeling my eyes widen as I look over at her and see her so content. She just shakes her head and waves her other finger, as if telling me not to flip out. I don't know how she can be so calm, but I look ahead at Finnick and even Gale. Everyone seems to be fine with the river floor not being right there within arm's reach. So I take a deep breath and let my body go limp again and flow along with them. It takes about a minute before I notice something odd in the water ahead of us. A rippling that probably shouldn't be there is with Finnick and Annie heading straight for it. I flounder and thrash, Katniss holding tight to my hand and I point rapidly, since I can't talk. She shakes her head and then looks at what I'm marking. I see her gray hunter's eyes narrow and then widen quickly. She lets go of my hand and propels herself forward, in front of Beetee and Johanna. Gale is the only one behind us and swims up next to me. I point out the unnatural mistake to him and he nods but doesn't go to help Katniss.

But she doesn't reach them in time and it isn't Finnick who hits that invisible wall.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - I didn't even realize that a whole month has gone by! But thanks to any of you who have stuck around to read my story. Thank you always to Suzanne Collins for such great characters!**

JPOV

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, whoever you are for making sure that my allied team don't get smaller yet again," I say to myself as quietly as I possibly can, watching the screen from the steps of the President's mansion. I readjust myself, as I'm helping hold up a very heavy, very drunk Haymitch on one side, while Effie holds onto the other side of him. We had to stop and watch as our, her, tributes swam closer and closer to the invisible barrier. I think it was the old man from District 4, who had had too many surgeries, thinking that they would make him look better. Well, now he's probably dead and the allied group is safe once again.

"Who was that? So brave of him to jump in from the riverbed like that! I wonder why he did it. I mean, he didn't talk to them much during training as far as I can recall." Effie chatters on. The quicker I can help her deposit Haymitch back to their apartment, the quicker I can get back to my post with Snow. It was lucky we showed up when we did as it was.

An hour ago, we found Haymitch with President Snow, having had too much to drink, as was his norm, but Snow had a vicious grin on his face that had fallen once we came in. He pulled his hand away from Haymitch's glass but not before I noticed a small vial folded up in it. He had never been so careless before. In fact, he never did anything directly before, that's why he had other people around, to do his dirty work for him.

"Sir, we have been looking for Mr. Abernathy everywhere!" I exclaimed, in my annoyingly fake voice, as Effie went to Haymitch, smacking his face a little to waken him up a bit. "Effie here called upon me to help her and I knew that you had an appointment with him, so I brought her here. Is everything okay, he looks drunker than usual?"

"Why yes, Janae. I think he was on a bit of a dry spell before he came back to the Capitol is all. I probably should have eased him into it. But once you get this man drinking, it's hard to get him to stop." Snow said with a malicious smile. I hated him, I really did. And I knew that he was capable of evil things, but getting rid of Abernathy now would be a horrible idea even for him.

Effie laughs a hearty laugh, an almost fake laugh for even her. She knows; she knows something is wrong here and she may have known for a long time. "President Snow, it's true, Peeta and Katniss were training and he made sure that Haymitch was drinking less. Haymitch of course drank, just not in front of them; he hid it as best he could until Peeta would find another bottle and throw it away. Let's just say that Haymitch may want to take it slow from here on in."

"Well, sir, if you don't mind, I'll help Ms. Trinket here get Mr. Abernathy back to their rooms where he can sleep it off." I say, putting an arm under Haymitch's to attempt to lift him out of the chair. His gray eyes are open, but what they are registering I don't know. He seems more than just drunk, he seems…drugged.

"Of course, Janae. Are you two sure you don't want some help from a couple of my men?" He says, sitting tall in his chair, just watching us struggling to lift a grown man who is dead weight.

I wave my hand at him, "Sir, you have never been around Plutarch when he has had a bit too much. And Mr. Abernathy is smaller than him around the middle if I do say so."

Effie lets out another fake laugh, a nervous laugh as she looks between Snow and I. "We'll be fine, Mr. President, I've handled Haymitch before."

"As you say, ladies, as you say." He replies, effectively dismissing us.

Now we are on the front steps, breathing heavily under the weight of this man and after just watching the tributes' lives get saved once again. Effie clutches at her chest with her free hand. "Oh my, oh my, thank God they're okay. I can't believe this! We need to get Haymitch back up and going, need to talk to sponsors."

"Okay, okay, let's go." I agree as I see two peacekeepers coming our way from the steps below. I shake my head at them before one of them can even ask if we need help. He steps back, as does the other one and we make our way to the tributes' apartments.

While everyone seems to be watching us, no one seems surprised that it's Haymitch who we are carrying. But it's also a good time to ask Effie some questions, what she may or may not know.

"So, Effie, what does Cinna have in store for Katniss should she come back again?" I ask carefully, knowing that he was beaten, as well as Portia. It's a shame, but Snow is quite adamant about making sure that any of their supporters are punished properly. In fact, I haven't heard anything else about them since their tributes went in to the arena.

She looks over Haymitch's shoulder at me, "You know, it's the strangest thing, but I haven't seen any of our stylists since they took Katniss, Peeta, and Gale down to the tubes. I mean, I didn't know Trinity very well, but she seems nice enough, given what she was thrown into."

"True, I guess she didn't have much of a choice being a part of this. Where do you think they all went to? I mean, don't you usually watch the Games with the stylists?"

"Well, not really, sometimes, but we all try to get sponsors for them on our own. We all have our own circles to talk to and with Cinna being so very popular right now; I wouldn't be surprised if he's just been non-stop. But Trinity, I don't even know where she came from, so I don't know who her contacts would be." Effie answers, shaking her head. That isn't what I wanted to hear. It means that she has no clue as to just how much danger she could really be in.

"You don't know where someone came from? I thought that was one of your talents, knowing everything about everyone." I slide in with a smirk, trying to make it sound like a good thing and not condescending.

She laughs, a fake laugh, but not like the one upstairs with Snow, a fake Capitol laugh. I hate when people do that, but I'm a pro at it. "I usually am, but she just surprised us all when she showed up. I mean, President Snow had to have sent her, right? He knows all the stylists in the Capitol. But it is odd that I have not heard of her before. I mean, she really just popped up from nowhere. I even asked Cinna about her and he had no clue."

Crap, that's not good. But Trinity isn't my top priority right now. Making sure that my tributes stay alive is the only thing I need to worry about. But I need to make sure we get Haymitch back and make sure that Effie stays with him until he is sober again, just to be safe.

A few minutes later, we are in the elevator up to their apartment and Effie is starting to show some wear. With a strained voice and blowing a curl that has fallen away from her hairdo, she says, "I forget just how annoying it is to carry this man around."

I let out small grunt of laughter, "I wasn't aware you had to carry him around."

"Well, ideally I don't, but there have been a few times where it was just the two of us left, talking about Katniss and Peeta, usually sometime after dinner on the tour, where he would drown himself in his liquor, trying to forget the horrors he had seen himself." She answers softly and honestly. "When the Quarter Quell was announced, when Peeta volunteered to take his place, it was horrible. He loves those two and I'm sure he would have gone in if Peeta hadn't done what he did. I know Haymitch well enough that he doesn't want either of them to die. Especially not when he could have died for them."

The doors open up to the right apartment and we heave him through, trying to carefully lay him down on the massive blue couch in the sitting area. Effie claps her hands together and tucks the fallen curl back into her up do. "Alright, well, would you like to stay for supper, watch with me? He'll be out for awhile, I'm sure President Snow doesn't have anything as cheap as Haymitch is used to and that takes a bit longer to wear off."

I look around, surveying the apartment; nothing looks to be out of the ordinary. But how would I know, I don't stay in these apartments myself. I nod my head, "I can stay for a snack if that's alright, and I have dinner plans with Plutarch."

"Of course, of course. Silly me, I always forget that you're his sister." Effie admits as she walks over to a small table and talks into the hidden microphone there, ordering some small bites of cheese and fruit and wine. She turns back to me, looking at Haymitch for a moment and then waves her hand to the dining table, "Take a seat, Janae, while we wait."

I sit down across from her, the big screen television already on and showing our tributes clambering out of the water, Finnick trying to heave the older man who jumped in with him. Everyone is now on the riverbank, Gale and Katniss armed with their weapons, watching the trees on both sides of the running water, while Finnick attempts to breathe some life into the man. I wasn't sure how the man knew where to be and what to do, but I am eternally grateful for it, as my inner rebellious warrior screams.

I watch as Peeta and Annie are watching what Finnick does to the man, Peeta probably trying to learn, as it seems he does. Annie looks scared again, but she is frail and I'm surprised that she is still alive to be honest. But with Finnick so near at all times, one would be crazy to even attempt it. Few know of their relantionship, though if they were paying attention yesterday, they know now.

An Avox walks in with a large tray of cheese, fruits, and crackers, while another follows closely with a bottle of wine and three glasses. They must have assumed that Haymitch would join us at some point. They set everything down and wait in their corners silently, as if they had any choice.

"Well, Janae, what do you think?" Effie asks as she takes some cubes of cheese and grapes, setting them on her small plate.

I look at her quizzically, "Think, of what?"

"Well, of how well our team is doing, my dear." When my mouth drops down in surprise, she laughs softly, "I may be all doused in make-up and have my hair changed every other day, but that doesn't mean I don't know what's going on. I know about the Allies. I just don't know how much you had to do with it."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - I'm so, so sorry. Life has a way of getting in the way of writing. But here is Peeta's chapter. Enjoy and I own nothing.**

PPOV

I can't believe all that's happened in the last few minutes. The force field and the man who jumped in front of it so that all of us would be stopped. I tried to watch what Finnick was doing to him to get him breathing again, but it kind of looked like he was kissing him; except his chest would rise and I realized that he was trying to get air into him. The man didn't have the oxygen mask that we had, so he went in willingly enough. But I don't know why. I mean, I know why, it seems like everyone is intent on making sure this group makes it through, but some of the people who are giving up their lives are taking me by surprise. And who put it into their minds to do this for us? I know Katniss is important to everyone, no one knows that better than me of course.

I'm jarred away from my thoughts when I feel a hand on my shoulder. Looking up, blinded at first by the sun, I realize its Finnick. "How did you know to do that?"

He shrugs his shoulders, dirt caking dry on his uniform. "Everyone's taught how to rescue in 4; it's just part of learning how to swim. How are you doing? How did you see it? Katniss told me that you're the one who pointed out the force field."

I look over at her, sitting with Annie and Johanna; they look like a couple of friends just hanging out. Except no friends that I know of carry a bow and quiver of arrows or an ax by their sides at all times. I look back up at Finnick and answered, "I'm not even sure. I just saw this weird ripple in the water and pointed it out to her. But since she can actually swim, she went to you guys. And then that guy jumped in. Do you know who he was?"

"Yeah, he was from our district. But he didn't train with us; in fact, I think he only came down when we had to do the judging round." Finnick looks around, the hovercraft having taken the body already, quickly and almost daring us to jump on it. "He was nice enough and all, but had a bit too many surgeries to keep him looking young, which meant he was hooked on morphling. Not as bad as some, kind of like your mentor, enough to get him through."

I snort at the mention of Haymitch and realize how much I actually miss him right now. I know my own father is a kind, gentle man whereas Haymitch is all kinds of rough around the edges, but I still look to him for some guidance. The kind of guidance I could use right now. It's then that I notice once again some parachutes floating towards us. But it's Johanna, who yells out,

"Look! They're sending us more stuff!" Everyone forms a small, broken circle, waiting with our arms extended for the three small cylinders to land into them. She pouts, "What the hell, there's more than three of us."

Gale laughs as he opens one, "But they're full enough for everyone."

I peek into the one that Katniss has opened and it's full of rolls, quite a few of them in fact. She squats down, pulling them out, counting them. "There's seven in here!"

The other two are opened and there are seven rolls in each cylinder. We all look at each other, realizing that there has been enough sent for three separate meals. The rolls aren't just rolls, but heartier, with nuts and fruits in them like the ones we make back home. A home that seems so far away right now.

"Close those two up and we'll just each have one out of here for now." Johanna orders and starts passing out rolls to everyone. Katniss and Gale seal their tins back up, setting them to the side for now as we all sit down. I take a small bite into the bread and savor the taste on my tongue. It isn't hot and fresh, but I wouldn't expect it to be and it doesn't take away anything from the flavor of it. Katniss scoots herself over to me, intertwining our legs together as she sits between my legs. I smile at her, a relaxed, lazy kind of smile and shake my head at her a little.

"Feeling better?" I ask her as I nudge my knee against hers.

She smiles back at me, her face seemingly aglow despite what this day has brought. Nodding her head at me, she answers, "I was just thinking about how this was the kind of bread you tossed me. When you saved me the first time."

I can feel my eyes widen, she rarely brings this up, she hates bringing this kind of stuff up; the day I saved her with some loaves of burnt bread. I know she's told me how grateful she was and how the next day she saw a dandelion and knew what she had to do in order to save her family from the brink of death. I hear her giggle next to me and shake my head, bringing me back to this day, this moment in time where we are fighting off a different kind of death.

"Are you okay Peeta?" She asks me and my smile broadens and I lean in to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"You just don't talk about it much, so I wasn't sure if you'd remember what kind of bread it was." I look down at my roll, already half gone and then back up at her, "I remember how I felt like I should have gone after you, given you more."

She shakes her dark head, slipping her hand in mine. "Peeta, we've been over this. You gave me exactly what I needed to remember what I already knew. We have saved each other more times than we have needed to and yet here we still are."

"Yeah, but for how much longer? He wants us dead and he's obviously not going to quit until he reaches his goal. How much longer do you think we'll really have before he sends some mutt in or some other sneaky killer to finish us off?" I can't help but realize that this time we may not make it out. At least not both of us. I would have nothing without her, nothing.

"Peeta, we did it before and we will do it again." She looks around at our allies eating and enjoying themselves for the time being and replies with a warm smile, "Besides, we never had this much support before."

I roll my eyes and bite into my roll. She laughs and knocks my shoulder with hers. She was never the one who was full of optimism that was always my job. But looking at her now, I'm sure she's not even the same Katniss that was deposited into this arena. She's changed, not for worse; I'm not sure for better yet either though.

When the cannon booms, we all jump, looking at one another to make sure the seven of us are still there. No one from our group is missing, so it's just another pair of hands that would have killed us gone. But then the canon booms three more times and we all wonder; who could have done that?


End file.
